Maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beam machine system

ABSTRACT

A maintenance schedule monitoring device is provided for a laser beam machine system, which is designed to monitor the maintenance schedule of the laser beam machine system. A time measuring unit (A) measures the time for which an object requiring maintenance is operating, according to information on the operation of the object requiring maintenance in the laser beam machine system. A time alarm unit (B) detects that the measured time has reached a preset time, and causes a maintenance schedule display control unit (C) to display an instruction that it is time to carry out a maintenance of the object, on a display unit (D). Thus, the maintenance and inspection schedule of the object requiring maintenance is automatically managed by automatic chronological time measurement, and when it is time to carry out the maintenance and inspection, an indication that it is time to carry out the maintenance of the object requiring maintenance is automatically shown on the display unit (D).

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/776,362,filed Nov. 26, 1991, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a maintenance schedule monitoringdevice for a laser beam machine system, and more particularly, to amaintenance time monitoring device for informing the user that it istime to carry out a maintenance and inspection of all laser beam machinecomponent elements requiring maintenance.

2. Background Art of the Related

A laser beam machine incorporates a relatively large number of componentelements in the structure of the laser oscillator and the like thereof,which require a periodic maintenance and inspection.

In the laser beam machine, examples of the maintenance items and thecomponent elements that require a periodic maintenance and inspectioninclude a replacement of the lubricating oil of the vane pump of thecooling water supply system, a replacement of the lubricating oil of theRoots blower of the laser gas supply system, a replacement of the filterand the cooling water of the cooling water supply system, and analignment of the bent mirror of the laser optical system, and the like.

Conventionally, the schedules for the above-mentioned periodicmaintenance and inspection of the many component elements requiringmaintenance are generally managed by entering the maintenance andinspection intervals and the dates of implementing the maintenance andinspection and the like in a maintenance data sheet or the like for eachmaintenance item of each object requiring maintenance, in accordancewith the instructions given in a service manual or the like, or bypasting a label or the like, showing a maintenance and inspectionschedule, on a machine.

The management of maintenance and inspection schedules described abovedepends entirely on the user, and as it is cumbersome, it often is notcarried out properly. For example, merely pasting a label showing themaintenance and inspection interval onto a machine has little effect forreminding the user that it is time to carry out the maintenance andinspection, and as a result, the user often does not remember toimplement the maintenance and inspection at the proper time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to solve the problems posed by theconventional management method for the maintenance and inspectionschedules of a laser beam machine, and the object of the presentinvention is to provide a maintenance schedule monitoring device whichis able to automatically and accurately notify the user that it is timeto carry out the maintenance and inspection of an object requiringmaintenance.

To fulfill the aforementioned object, a maintenance schedule monitoringdevice for a laser beam machine system is provided, which comprises atime measuring means (A) designed to measure the working time of anobject requiring maintenance in response to information received onwhether or not said object in the laser beam machine system is working,a time alarm means (B) designed to detect that said time measured bysaid time measuring means (A) has reached a preset time, and amaintenance schedule display control means (C) designed to issue aninstruction for indicating that it is time to carry out a maintenance ofsaid object requiring maintenance on a display means (D) when said timealarm means (B) detects that said maintenance time has reached saidpreset time.

In the maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beam machinesystem according to the present invention, said time measuring means (A)may be designed to measure the working time of said object to requiringmaintenance, depending on the working condition of said object requiringmaintenance.

Also, the maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beammachine system according to the present invention may be provided withan input means (E) whereby data and parameters related to themaintenance items and maintenance times of said object requiringmaintenance are updated and entered as required.

Further, the maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beammachine system according to the present invention may be provided with amaintenance and inspection implementation detecting means (F) designedto detect that a maintenance operation and inspection of said objectrequiring maintenance have been carried out, a resetting means (G)designed to reset the time measurement by said time measuring means (A)when said maintenance and inspection implementation detecting means (F)detects that the maintenance and inspection of said object requiringmaintenance has been carried out, and to cancel the display instructionissued by said maintenance schedule display control means (C), and aresetting means (H) designed to reset the time measurement made by saidtime measuring means (A) in response to a specific signal given by aninput through a specific key, and to cancel the display instructionissued by said maintenance schedule display control means (C).

According to the configuration described above, the maintenance andinspection schedule of an object requiring maintenance is automaticallymanaged by an automatic chronological time measurement, and when it istime for the maintenance and inspection to be carried out, an indicationshowing that it is time to carry out the maintenance on an objectrequiring maintenance is automatically shown on a display means such asa CRT.

If the time measuring means is designed to measure the working time ofan object requiring maintenance according to the working condition ofsaid object requiring maintenance, a more accurate management of themaintenance schedule can be achieved where the maintenance schedule ofan object requiring maintenance varies in accordance with a work loadand the like, as well as the working time of the object requiringmaintenance.

A device provided with the input means enables not only a manufacturerbut also a user to register new maintenance items and/or maintenancetimes of an object requiring maintenance, or to change such items asnecessary.

Also, in a device provided with the aforementioned resetting means , thedisplay control means does not cancel a display instruction unless themaintenance and inspection has been carried out, or a specific key orkeys are operated. This feature minimizes the chance of failing toobserve that it is time to carry out the maintenance, due to anaccidental resetting. Further, the display control means continues toissue the display instruction until properly reset, and thus the user isalways made aware that it is time to carry out the maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual drawing of a maintenance schedule monitoringdevice for a laser beam machine system according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a laser beam machinesystem incorporating the maintenance schedule monitoring deviceaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing an example of a display screenof a display means used when entering data in a maintenance schedulemonitoring device for a laser beam machine system according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example of a schedule indicating thatit is time to carry out the maintenance, in the maintenance schedulemonitoring device for the laser beam machine system according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a maintenance schedule detecting routinein the maintenance schedule monitoring device for the laser beam machinesystem according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a display & resettingroutine in the maintenance schedule monitoring device for the laser beammachine system according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the present invention is described in detailhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the laser beam machine systemincorporating the maintenance schedule monitoring device according tothe present invention. The laser beam machine system comprises a laserbeam machine 10 and controller 30.

The laser beam machine 10 consists of or includes a laser oscillator 11for generating a laser beam, a mechanical section 12 comprising aworktable and nozzle head, etc., a servomotor 13 for driving themechanical section 12, a lubricating system 14 provided for themechanical section 12, an assisting gas system 15, an optical systemnozzle 16 for radiating the laser beam, a high-tension board 23 for apower supply control and the like, and a control panel 24.

The laser oscillator 11 is a gas laser type and is provided with a lasergas supply system 18 having a Roots blower 17, and a cooling watersupply system 20 having a vane pump 19.

A controller 30 is designed to perform a numerical control and themaintenance schedule monitoring according to the present invention, andcomprises a microprocessor unit (MPU) 31, a memory 32 consisting of aROM and RAM and the like, a laser interface circuit 33 for an input andoutput of control signals for the laser oscillator 11, an I/O portcircuit 34 for an input and output of control signals for thehigh-tension board 23 and the control panel 24, a servo control circuit35 for an input and output of control signals for the servomotor 13, akeyboard 36 manually operated by a user to generate instructions, and aCRT 37 serving as a display means.

The memory 32 stores a system program which includes a maintenance andinspection schedule monitoring program, and in accordance with themaintenance and inspection monitoring program, the time measuring meansA, the time alarm means B, and the maintenance schedule display controlmeans C are called up by software, as shown in FIG. 1.

More specifically, the microprocessor unit 31 is given information onwhether or not an object requiring maintenance, a Roots blower 17, forexample, in the laser beam machine 10 is working, and measures the timefor which the Roots blower 17 is working by the time measuring means A.The microprocessor unit 31 constantly monitors, by the time alarm meansB, the time measured by the time measuring means A, and detects whetheror not the preset time according to the maintenance schedule for eachobject requiring maintenance has been reached. When it is detected thatsaid time measured by the time measuring means A has reached said presettime, the microprocessor unit stores the data showing this, in thememory 32, and further, sends the data to the maintenance scheduledisplay control means C. The maintenance schedule display control meansC is designed to generate and send a display instruction showing that itis time to carry out the maintenance of said object requiringmaintenance, to the CRT 37, in response to a signal indicating that thetime alarm means B has detected that the maintenance time has reachedsaid preset time. When the display instruction is issued, the CRT 37displays on a screen that it is time to carry out the maintenance of theobject requiring maintenance.

The time measuring means A may be designed so that the working time ofthe object requiring maintenance such as the Roots blower 17, ismeasured according to the operating conditions, including the rotationalspeed, of the object requiring maintenance. Such a flexible measurementmay be decided by the microprocessor unit 31 from the control signalssupplied to the Roots blower 17 or from the control signals fed back andreceived from the Roots blower 17.

The resetting means G is designed to be called up when a specific signalis given by depressing a specific key, for example, a password key, onthe keyboard 36 or by depressing a predetermined set of keys at the sametime. When this procedure is carried out, the resetting means G resetsthe time measurement performed by the time measuring means A and cancelsthe display instruction issued by the maintenance schedule displaycontrol means C.

For maintenance and inspection items such as the replacing of the oil ofthe Roots blower 17 and of the vane pump 19, the maintenance andinspection implementation detecting means F detects, by limit switches21 and 22 incorporated in the caps of the oil supply ports, that the oilcaps have been removed for replacing the oil, and thus decides that amaintenance operation and inspection have been implemented. Namely, theresetting means G can be called up by a signal received from the limitswitch 21 or 22.

The maintenance items and maintenance intervals, i.e., the preset times,of an object requiring maintenance, which is monitored by themaintenance schedule monitoring device according to the presentinvention are preset for five items common to all systems, frommaintenance items No. 1 through No. 5 as shown in FIG. 3. Also, formaintenance items No. 6 through No. 10, the maintenance items andmaintenance intervals (preset times) of the object requiring maintenanceare defined by the machine manufacturer or user, as required, throughthe keyboard 36. Therefore, the keyboard 36 functions as an enteringmeans for registering new maintenance items or intervals, or updatingsame as necessary. Maintenance items and maintenance intervals areentered interactively through the keyboard 36, and messages pertainingthereto are displayed at the bottom of a data input screen as shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows a schedule indicating that it is time to carry out themaintenance for the maintenance items Nos. 1 through 5 shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the routine for detecting the arrival of a maintenance andinspection time. The numbers following "S" in FIG. 5 denote stepnumbers. The processing routine shown in FIG. 5 is repeatedlyimplemented at specified intervals. After the preparation for operationis completed, it is determined in step 10 whether or not the timemeasurement requirements are satisfied. The time measurementrequirements mean whether or not the object requiring maintenance isworking, or whether or not the object requiring maintenance is workingunder a certain operating condition in addition to whether or not it isworking. If the time measurement requirements are met, then the programproceeds to step 12, and if not, the program returns to the previousstep.

In step 12, the working time is added up, and thus the time for which anobject requiring maintenance has worked is measured by the countingmethod. The program then proceeds from step 12 to step 14.

In step 14, it is determined whether or not the time measured in step 12has reached the preset maintenance time, and this step is repeated untilthe maintenance time is reached. When the maintenance time is reached,the program goes to step 16.

In step 16, a flag F1=1 indicating that it is time to carry out themaintenance of an object requiring maintenance is stored in the memory32.

FIG. 6 indicates the inspection schedule display and resetting routine,and the numbers following "S" are step numbers. In the routine, it isfirst determined in step 20 whether or not the flag F1 is 1. If the flagF1 is 1, which means that it is time for the maintenance to be carriedout, then the program advances to step 22; if the flag F1 is not 1, thenthe program proceeds to step 30 and the preparation for operation iscompleted.

In step 22, a warning indicating that it is time for the inspection tobe carried out is displayed on the screen of the CRT 37.

After step 22, the program goes to step 24 and it is determined, by asignal received from the limit switch 21 or 22, whether or notinspection has been carried out. If it is detected that the inspectionhas been carried out, then the program proceeds to step 32, while itproceeds to step 26 if it is detected that the inspection has not beenimplemented.

In step 26, it is determined whether or not the resetting pushbuttonprovided on the keyboard 36 or the control panel 24 has been depressed.If it is determined that the resetting pushbutton has not beendepressed, then the program goes back to step 24, and if it isdetermined that the pushbutton has been depressed, then step 28 isimplemented.

In step 28, the warning displayed on the screen of the CRT 37 is erased,and the program advances to step 30.

Step 32 is implemented when it is confirmed that the inspection has beencarried out. In this step, the flag F1 is reset to 0, and an integratedvalue of the working time is also reset.

When the inspection schedule display and resetting routine is carriedout as described above, even if the resetting pushbutton is depressedthe flag F1 maintains the condition 1 unless it is confirmed that theinspection has been carried out. Accordingly, the display of a warningthat it is time for the inspection to be carried out is repeatedly madeat the CRT 37 whenever the laser beam machine system is restarted. Theflag F1 is reset only when it is confirmed that the inspection has beencarried out, and the integrated value of the working time is also resetso that the time measurement for the next inspection time may bestarted.

If the preset inspection schedule differs from one inspection item toanother, then the maintenance and inspection time detecting routine andthe inspection schedule display and resetting routine as discussed aboveare carried out independently for each inspection item.

As explained above, in the maintenance schedule monitoring device for alaser beam machine system according to the present invention, themaintenance and inspection schedule of an object requiring maintenanceis automatically managed by automatic chronological time measurement,and when the maintenance and inspection time is reached, an indicationthat it is time to carry out the maintenance of the object requiringmaintenance is automatically given on a display means such as a CRT, andtherefore, the management of the maintenance and inspection schedulescan be automatically performed without fail, eliminating the need fordepending on the care of the user.

If the time measuring means is designed so that the measurement of theworking time of an object requiring maintenance is performed accordingto the working condition of the object requiring maintenance, then amore accurate management of maintenance schedules can be achieved wherethe maintenance interval of an object requiring maintenance varies inaccordance with the work load and the like in addition to the workingtime of the object requiring maintenance.

If the system is provided with an input means, then not only themanufacturer but also the user is able to register new maintenance itemsand/or maintenance intervals of an object requiring maintenance, or toupdate same as necessary, and this makes it possible for individualusers to perform an accurate management of maintenance schedules.

If the system is provided with a resetting means, then the displaycontrol means does not cancel the display instruction until themaintenance and inspection have been carried out or a specific key orkeys are depressed. This minimizes the chance of failing to observe thatit is time to carry out the maintenance due to an accidental resetting.The display control means continues to issue the display instructionuntil a specific person responsible for maintenance management properlyperforms the resetting operation, and thus the user is always made awarethat it is time to carry out the maintenance.

We claim:
 1. A maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beammachine system designed to monitor a maintenance schedule for the laserbeam machine system, comprising:time measuring means for receivinginformation on whether an object requiring maintenance in the laser beammachine system is working, and for measuring a time during which saidobject requiring maintenance is working; time alarm means for detectingthat the time measured by said time measuring means has reached a presettime; and maintenance schedule display control means for generating anddisplaying an instruction indicating that maintenance is required ofsaid object requiring maintenance on display means, when said time alarmmeans detects that the time during which said object requiringmaintenance is working has reached the preset time, said time measuringmeans measuring the time during which said object requiring maintenanceis working in accordance with a working condition experienced by saidobject requiring maintenance and comprising an operating conditionincluding a rotational speed of the object requiring maintenance.
 2. Themaintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beam machine systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising input means for updating datafor maintenance tasks and maintenance intervals required by said objectrequiring maintenance.
 3. The maintenance schedule monitoring device fora laser beam machine system according to claim 1, furthercomprising:maintenance and inspection implementation detecting means fordetecting that an operation occurring during maintenance and inspectionof said object requiring maintenance has been performed, and resettingmeans for resetting the time measured by said time measuring means andfor cancelling the instruction indicating that the maintenance isrequired of said object requiring maintenance displayed by saidmaintenance schedule display control means when said maintenance andinspection implementation detecting means detects that the maintenanceoperation of said object requiring maintenance has been performed. 4.The maintenance schedule monitoring device for a laser beam machinesystem according to claim 1, further comprising resetting means forresetting the time measured by said time measuring means and forcancelling the instruction indicating that the maintenance is requiredof said object requiring maintenance displayed by the said maintenanceschedule display control means, upon receiving a reset signal generatedby depressing at least one reset key.
 5. The maintenance schedulemonitoring device for a laser beam machine system according to claim 1,wherein a maintenance interval for said object requiring maintenance isadjusted in accordance with machine work load and working time,whereinsaid working time is measured responsive to operating conditionsincluding rotational speed of said object requiring maintenance.